Granger's Academy
by SocietalFlub
Summary: 5 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione opens a school for the children of wizards so they can learn the ways of muggles before heading off to Hogwarts. Lighthearted and what I hope to be a fun read! Rewrite of a story I started in 2010 but abandoned, hopefully this time round I'll finish it!
1. Britain's First Wizarding Primary School

'"Opening one week from today is Britain's first wizarding primary school. Granger's Academy for Muggle Studies and Wizarding Preparation will be a day school for the children of wizards and/ or witches who wish their children to be educated on the practices of muggles. In addition to learning of the ways of muggles, children will be regularly screened for signs of magical abilities. Should children show aptitude for witchcraft or wizardry, they will undergo exercises with which to control their magical powers until attending the centuries-old Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the age of eleven. While attendance is purely optional, children aged 6 to 10 are encouraged by educational officials at the Ministry of Magic to attend in order to be well-informed on the ways of the muggles they will be in relations with later on in life. Children will also have the opportunity to engage in many extra-curricular activities such as performing and visual arts, muggle sports like "football" and "rugby," all the while remaining true to their magical backgrounds with Quidditch and other traditional Wizarding games.

'"Says the founder and future headmistress of the school Ms. Hermione Granger, 'I founded Granger's because, being muggle-born myself, I found that knowing the things muggle children do helps both with studies at Hogwarts and later in life. I think that the technologies and concepts muggles use apply very well and even aid in wizarding life. I believe that if we combine the ways of two very different intelligences, we can form an even more educated youth.'

'"There will be a small but necessary fee of" oh, nobody cares about that part. My god Hermione, you're famous! My very own girlfriend, in _The Daily Prophet_. And for being the headmistress of "Britain's first wizarding primary school" no less! I swear, you'll go down in history to be as famous as Dumbledore!'

I smiled and shook my head at the ridiculousness of my boyfriend Ron's last statement. Gazing at the floor of our apartment's small sitting room, got up from the sofa and huffed a breath, beginning to pace. 'I'm not so sure of that.' After a moment's hesitation, I added, 'Do you think I can really do all this? I mean, in theory, Granger's seems like a great idea, but I just don't know if I can handle something this big. And what if there are still Death Eaters out there? What if they try to kill me?! Not everyone likes muggles, you know! And what if—'

'Hey!' Ron said cutting me off, pulling me into his muscled arms. 'Hermione, there are always going to be people out there who don't agree with certain things. But when Harry killed Voldemort five years ago, most Death Eaters went into hiding or were shut up in Azkaban. The chances of there being people who want to kill you out there are very small. It's a new generation; most wizards are more than tolerant of muggles. Trust me, people like your ideas. And more education is always good! You of all people should know that,' he said with a smile.

Finished talking, my boyfriend wrapped his long arms around me tighter and whispered into my hair.

'You're amazing, Hermione. You're gonna be the best headmistress a school's ever seen.' He pulled away from the embrace but kept me at arms' length, looking into my eyes. 'One more week till Granger's opens,' he said. 'Come get some rest while you still can.'


	2. Last Moments of Tranquility

'Right, er, if you could all raise your glasses, I-I'd like to make a toast,' Ron said, standing up from the dinner table.

Ginny and Harry were joining me and Ron for dinner at our flat the night before I was due to start my new job as headmistress at Granger's.

'Hermione, I always knew you'd go far. I think it's amazing how many kids are gonna get a better education than we did, all because of you and your brilliant mind. I missed you like mad when you went back to Hogwarts to take your N. E. W. T. s, and when you left for two years to go to muggle's university, but I knew it was because you wanted to do something great. I've had faith in you all these years, Hermione. We are so glad you're finally getting to live this dream you've had for so long.'

At this point, Ron's ears were glowing red, as he still had a fear of public speaking no matter if it was an audience of three or three hundred.

'Here's to Hermione,' he finished.

'Hermione,' Harry and Ginny echoed.

I was overjoyed, so much so that a tear fell, with more quickly queuing up.

Having been my best girlfriend since our Hogwarts days, Ginny could tell that my tears were of joy, so she reached her hands across the table and grabbed mine. With a flash of her dazzling grin and a wink, she spoke.

'Don't worry Hermione, I'll be right across the school grounds so you can come and visit if you need to tomorrow. On that note, thanks so much for the job offer. As you know, I've been out of work since the whole professional Quiddich thing didn't work out, so I really appreciate this.'

'You know I'd do anything to help you out,' I replied honestly.

'Oh, being Quidditch coach will be just great!' Laughing, she added, 'I bet I could give Madame Hooch a run for her money in time!'

As Ginny put her coat on in the front foyer about to leave, Harry cocked his eyebrows at me and spread his arms wide for a hug.

'Thought you could let me leave without a hug, did you?' He chuckled as I hugged him back. 'That's right, can't get rid of me that easily!'

As we pulled apart, Harry said to me, 'Ron put it perfectly. I—and Ginny too of course—we are so proud of you. You'll be a brilliant headmistress.'

Ginny, who was listening in, added, 'Yeah, you'll be even better than Dumbledore!'

We three laughed at the absurdity.

With a note of finality, Harry said, more to Ginny than to me, 'Well, we better get going. Ron and Hermione probably have things to get done. And we have some stuff of our own to do.' He grinned cheekily at Ginny and she giggled.

'I'll see you tomorrow, Hermione. Meet you outside your building—6:30 sharp! Bye Ron!' She called as Harry playfully pushed her out the door.

I rolled my eyes at how young their relationship seemed, even though they had been on and off for the five years after the Battle of Hogwarts.

Shutting the door, I then crept into the kitchen to see what Ron had been doing all this time I had been seeing Ginny and Harry out.

Peering round the corner, I could see Ron with a cake on a server, he straightening it as best he could. I couldn't imagine why he was doing this, but my train of thought was lost when he called my name rather loudly.

I walked casually into the room, trying not to look like I had been creeping round the corner a minute ago. Putting on a look of surprise, I asked (out of legitimate curiosity), 'What's this?'

'What does it look like?' he asked, grinning at me.

'Oh, shut up, you know what I mean! You didn't have to make me a cake!'

'Which is why I didn't. I bought this at the bakery.' At this, we both laughed—his cooking skills were pitiful. 'I just wanted to get you something to show how proud of you I am.'

'That's really too sweet of you, Ron.' I kissed him tenderly on the mouth. He responded with enthusiasm, making both of us quite red with embarrassment by the time we pulled apart.

After eating a piece of cake with Ron, he went to bed as I had a cup of tea while I read a book by the light of a single lamp. The only sounds were the passing traffic outside and Ron's faint snores. I cherished every moment, knowing that they would probably be the last moments of tranquility I'd have until my job started. Going to bed, I was rife with anxiety for what the next day would bring.


	3. Someone Seems Nervous

"Hey, Hermione? You gonna wake up? Your alarm's been going off for ten minutes."

I opened my eyes to see Ron standing next to the bed holding a tray with a piece of dark brown (almost burnt, no surprise there) toast, a cup of tea, and a single rose in a vase.

"I made you breakfast," he said.

"Is that what that is?" I joked. We both grinned at his attempt at cooking; it had never been an area of strength for Ron. "Thank you Sweetness, that's really thoughtful of you."

A few bites into breakfast, however, I told Ron I was finished and got up from the bed.

"Do you not like it?" He seemed genuinely concerned.

"Of course I do," I said, trying to reassure him. "I'm just nervous. I don't know if I can keep anything down, quite honestly."

With a sigh, I walked into the bathroom and called out to Ron, "Don't worry about me. You'd better go into work or you'll be late." (Ron worked as an Auror for the Ministry of Magic.)

"Well, er, you're sure you don't need anything?"

I promised him I'd be fine and he went on his way. With Ron gone, I took a shower and got dressed. Looking at myself in the mirror one last time, I gave myself a pep talk, repeating the words Ron had said to me so many times.

"You're going to be a great headmistress. This school is what people need. You will do good in this world, Hermione."

About as confident as I figured I'd ever be, I stepped out of our apartment and into the lobby where the doorman greeted me warmly. As I walked into the crisp, September air, I fastened my cloak tighter around my neck. Hearing the familiar popping sound of someone Apparating, I turned around only to be smothered in a hug from Ginny.

"Hermione! Are you as excited as I am?!"

"I, er, yes?"

"Someone seems nervous! C'mon, let's go before you vomit or something. And grab my arm for side-along, because your concentration level seems very low. We wouldn't want you to get splinched or something, now would we?"

Blocking out Ginny's endless babbling, I took hold of her arm and shut my eyes in anticipation of the familiar but still uncomfortable sensation that goes along with Apparation.

When I opened my eyes again, I was able to relax somewhat.

We were standing on a street corner in Greenwich, a city not far from London. To muggles, the school appeared to be an abandoned lot surrounded by chain-link fence, with little more on it than dirt and sparse patches of dead grass, but to us it was a brand-new primary school building complete with lush green lawns and a bell tower out back.

Ginny and I walked through the corridors on our way to the back of the building where the entrance to the sports fields and my office were located. I waved to staff members we saw along the way, recognizing each of them from their interviews. I glanced into the classroom windows and saw teachers nervously pacing back and forth or absentmindedly straightening things that didn't need to be straightened.

_At least I'm not the only one that's nervous_, I thought.

At last, we reached the administrative office at the end of the corridor where Ginny and I were to split ways. I opened my mouth to complain to her about how nervous I was, but Ginny beat me to it.

"Hermione, Sweetie, you can do this. I promise you, it'll be fine. I'm gonna go now, organise the supplies and all that, but I'll see you at lunch, okay?" She kissed me on the cheek and hurried off to the sport fields.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled open the door to the admin office to be greeted by the two receptionists, Marie and Angela.

"Good morning, dear," said Angela, the older of the two. As I was smiling at here, Marie chimed in.

"Oh, hi, Ms. Granger! Having a good day so far?" she asked.

Just having graduated from Hogwarts and nineteen years old, Marie was someone I felt a bond with and talking to her came easily.

"Well, I'm a little nervous," I started, "but yeah, I'd say my day's pretty good so far."

She smiled. "Fantastic. Now, a parent by the name of Elaine Martig sent us an owl saying that she'd like to meet with you as soon as possible. Shall I send her a reply for, say, nine o'clock today?"

I wondered what she could possibly want to discuss with me, but agreed nonetheless and proceeded down the hall and into my office. After hanging up my cloak and setting down my bag, I flopped into the plush leather desk chair seated behind the large wooden desk that rather reminded me of Dumbledore's, and took a look around. Checking my wrist watch, I saw that I had twenty minutes until the students were to start arriving. Anxious for what was to happen in just a few minutes' time, I busied myself by rearranging the various quills, ink pots, pieces of parchment, and the pictures I had of Ron and myself on my desk for the umpteenth time.

Feeling like the twenty minutes had passed, I checked my watch again, but to my dismay, it had only been ten since I had last checked the time. I gazed out the window for a moment, but getting fed up, I left my office early and made my way to the nearly empty parking lot to wait for the students to arrive. After mutely standing for awhile, I saw a purple bus come ambling down the street, heading towards the school. I smiled at its three decks and at the confused-looking old man with the Coke-bottle glasses that was seated behind the wheel.

_The Knight Bus_, I thought to myself and smiled as the brakes were slammed upon two centimeters before the curb.


	4. Victories Celebrated

Back in my office, I radiated elation. At least a hundred kids had showed up for school, and all of them had seemed excited to learn—something I love to see in kids. A few got lost, and some of the younger students cried at leaving their parents, but for the most part, the morning went great.

I was so lost in my thoughts, I jumped when Marie knocked on the door to tell me that Mrs. Martig was there for our nine o'clock appointment.

"Thank you, Mary," I said as I passed her desk on my way to the waiting area.

Sitting timidly on one of the plastic chairs facing the receptionists' desks was a small woman who could be none other than Elaine Martig.

"Mrs. Martig, how do you do? I'm Hermione Granger," I said as she stood up. We shook hands and I motioned for her to follow me into my office. After she had seated herself, I made sure to sound professional when I addressed her.

"Now, what can I do for you, Mrs. Martig?"

"With all due respect, Ms. Granger, just how qualified are you to be headmistress of a school? I respect what you're doing, I really do. But my husband and I both agree that we want only the very best for our daughter, Raelene, which includes having her under a headmistress who knows what she's doing."

I was shocked. Going into the project I knew there would be skeptics. After all, I _was_ only twenty-three. Most were shocked to hear that such a young woman as myself was handling such a big task. But when I first applied to the Ministry of Magic, they had had no doubts with letting me teach what with my impressive O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. scores and muggle university degree, not to mention the recommendations my old Hogwarts professors had written about me. The fact that I had fought alongside Harry Potter in the Battle of Hogwarts helped with the first impressions.

Finally finding the right words, I said to Elaine, "Mrs. Martig, I can assure you that were she to attend, your daughter would be in good hands. I've gotten a muggles' degree in education, and have been trained to Ministry standards by the board members themselves. In addition, I'd like you to know that great things are in store for the students at this school, and they will leave here with as much education you could possibly wish for a child to have and then some. I'm sure Raelene would be a fine addition to our student body, so please do consider enrolling her as we do take late admissions. If you'd like any more information on my background then please feel free to ask one of my lovely receptionists outside for that information."

Out of breath and a little overwhelmed, I scanned Elaine's face for a reaction. She was beaming.

"Ms. Granger, you have no idea how happy I am to hear all this! It's my husband, see. He comes from, er, how to put this? He comes from a bad line, let's say. He was raised to hate muggles and muggleborns alike, so when he saw that the head of this school was one, he couldn't help but be a little curious. But not to worry," she added quickly after seeing my face redden in worry. "My husband did say that he would be willing to let little Raelene attend so long as the headmistress had, oh how did he put this, 'a good, strong head on her shoulders'. I've worn him down over the years, see. And I really do think that that is exactly what you've got Ms. Granger!"

Standing up, the woman vigourously shook my hand.

"Thank you ever so kindly for your time, Ms. Granger. I'll be sure to send an owl your way with the registration forms and tuition money as soon as possible. I'll get out of your way now," she finished and walked out of my office with a final wave.

My insides were jumping for joy, and my heart was pounding furiously.

_I did it_, I thought. _People actually take me seriously!_

I had little time to celebrate my victory, however, because at 10:30 I was due in the auditorium for a school-wide assembly.

Standing behind the curtain up on stage, I thought of the speech I had prepared and went over the key points in my head. In the short time before the curtain was to go up, I was briefly reminded of the horrible Dolores Umbridge's opening speech at Hogwarts in fifth year. Not wanting to sound even remotely as fake as she did, I decided to wing it.

As the curtain rose, I thought of the football game my parents had taken me to when I was small and how energetic the crowd was. Wanting to mirror that energy, I addressed my students for the first time.

"Hi everyone, how are you lot doing?!"

They responded unenthusiastically but politely, saying "good" in unison.

I summoned up my courage, and going against my quiet nature, I followed up with, "I don't believe you. I said, how are you lot doing?!"

The second I heard their high-pitched screams and stomps, I knew I had their attention. I was able to relax, knowing that they didn't find me lame. If I had done the same thing at Hogwarts, I would have gotten smirks and sympathetic stares from the students-not a very good first impression.

The rest of the assembly was a success. I went over with them what they would learn, the standard rules, and how proud of them I was for their wanting to get an education. By the time I finished by saying how excited for the school year I was, I could tell it was going to be a good year. The kids seemed to love me, and my confidence level shot up.

After that, I had lunch with Ginny, and told her of my triumphs for the day. By what she told me, she loved her new job. Her students had such great attitudes, and she couldn't wait for the next week when after-school sports teams were to start.

I, on the other hand, couldn't wait to get home to tell Ron about how wonderful my day had been, or for the next day which I hoped would be just as good.


	5. Long Days, Solace in the Nights

'Ron! Ron, are you in here?!'

I had just gotten home from my first day of work and I was searching the flat for Ron to tell him about it. My heart sank as I checked my watch and saw that he wasn't to be home for another hour at the least.

With a sigh, I flopped onto the couch with a book to read until my boyfriend's arrival. After an hour of waiting, however, I began to get anxious and trotted into the kitchen to make dinner in order to distract myself.

After having nervously looking at the door every other second, there was a crick in my neck. As I paused to roll my shoulders, I heard the lock turn and glanced over to see Ron entering our flat.

'Ron! I'm so glad you're here! Oh my god, today was amazing!'

He pulled me into a hug and said to me, 'that's great! Tell me all about it!'

So I set the table and served dinner, all the while my mouth reeling. Ron seemed to find amusement in this; I hadn't shown so much enthusiasm since fourth year at Hogwarts when I started S.P.E.W. - a charity for house-elvan rights.

I told Ron of my meeting with Mrs. Martig, the assembly and how much the kids seemed to like me, and how Ginny seemed to like her job as well.

'I can't wait for tomorrow!' I finished.

'I'm sure it'll be great, Sweetie,' he said with a smile.

That night as I shut my eyes to go to sleep, I thought about the next day and smiled in spite of myself.

_Next day_

'Ron. RON! Ronald Weasley, you get your ass in here right now or I'm gonna kill someone!'

He came running around the corner with his work shirt half-unbuttoned and a terrified look in his eyes.

'Bloody hell, Hermione, what's wrong?!'

For a second I felt bad for scaring him, but then remembered my horrible day and forgot about him.

I stormed past him and threw myself onto the sofa. He followed and put his arms around me.

'Oi, what's wrong, Love?'

'It all started this morning. I woke up late, so by the time I got outside, Ginny had left, and you know how she brightens my mornings and I never get to see her to begin with! So I get to school late and I have _five_ parents there all waiting for me, and they end up being there only to criticise and yell at me for some reason or another! Then I had to respond to twelve owls. Twelve! All of which, I might add, are insulting me or complaining about things that don't even concern me! And some kid broke his arm playing Quidditch and I couldn't do anything about it. I'm not a registered Healer, so the parents would have complained, but now that I didn't do anything, they'll probably still complain! Why did my job have to get so hard all of a sudden?! I mean, I knew from the start it wouldn't be easy, but on my second day! Honestly!'

'Shh,' he consoled. "It'll get better, Love, I promise. Tell me, what were all the parents complaining about?"

'They don't want their kids riding on the Knight Bus; they think Ernie's unqualified for the job and that it's not safe. So now I have to contact the department of Magical Transportation and see to making it safer. And that may include Ern getting sacked! I don't want to do that! He's probably had that job longer than our parents have been alive! It's either sacking him, or trying to convince the parents that it's safe, which I doubt will be easy either way. The Knight Bus had provided transportation to wizards and witches for ages. If its only driver was fired because of me, I'd feel horrible! So now I've got an appointment at the Ministry in a couple of days. I'll be able to go to work with you, at least!'

_Next Day_

'Hey, Gin, sorry I missed you yesterday! Just had one of those days, if you know what I mean.'

'That's alright,' she said distractedly as we Apparated to the school.

'You okay?' I asked as we walked towards my office. I could sense that she was trying to maintain a sort of distance.

'Well, about the boy who broke his arm yesterday, I feel horrible, really terrible about that. He was under my supervision, it shouldn't have happened. And I didn't know what to do so I just sent him to you even though I knew you couldn't do anything. Now his parents are probably gonna be up both of ours. I'm sorry.'

Seeing how genuinely sorry she was, I decided to forgive Ginny.

'It's alright, sweetie, it really is. It's what anyone would have done. We'll just face it together. Now, on a different note, I'm not going to be here tomorrow morning, I have an appointment at the Ministry.' She gave me an inquisitive look, but we had neared my office.

'I'll tell you about it later.'

I watched her walk over to the fields and wondered how the next day would go.

'Good morning Ms. Grang— oh, uh, Hermione!' said Marie, remembering my request to be called by my first name. 'You have four new messages that came this morning.'

I sighed.

_This is going to be a long day,_ I thought.


	6. Miss Granger is Here to See You

"Hermione, it's time to wake up."

I opened my eyes and stared at the wall.

_Ministry day_, I thought.

I considered going back to sleep, but the clock beside me said that I needed to get going if I wanted to be on time, and tardiness would not do anything for me if I wanted to get on the Ministry's good side. So I dragged through my routine nervously, eventually meeting up with Ron at the front door.

"Right, shall we go?" he asked. "Grab my arm, and I'll take us to the visitor's entrance."

I nodded and took hold of his muscular forearm, covered in the purple robes that Aurors wore over their uniforms.

After the vaccumous sensation, I opened my eyes to be standing in front of a dilapidated telephone booth that I knew to be the Ministry entrance.

"After you," Ron said, and we squeezed into the booth. He dialed a code on the rotary phone, hung up, and we took a lift ride down to the lobby, which was bustling with early-morning activity. Anxiously looking around, I recalled the last time I had been there when I was seventeen; Harry, Ron and I had been there to retrieve a horcrux from the awful Ministry worker, Dolores Umbridge.

We manoeuvred our way through the hoards of people, Ron nodding to people he knew along the way. At the end of the lobby, there was a row of lifts, and we were crowded into the nearest one. When it stopped at level 8, a disembodied voice announced that it was so and Ron gestured for me to step out there. From there, we set off down a long hallway.

A door with a sign saying 'Department of Transportation' greeted us at the end of the corridor.

"Here's where I'll let you off. Just sign in at the front desk and they'll tell you where to go from there."

Ron gave me a kiss on the cheek, wished me good luck, and set off back the way we had just come, leaving me to deal with my meeting. _Here goes nothing,_ I thought, and pulled open the door.

I had stepped into a small waiting room, complete with stiff-looking plastic chairs, outdated magazines, and a round desk at which sat a kindly-looking old woman. I tiptoed up to the desk, not wanting to disturb her, but after a moment of waiting and the woman not noticing me, I cleared my throat. At that, she looked up at once.

"Good morning, dear. How may I be of assistance?"

"Er, hi, my name is Hermione Granger; I'm here for an appointment with the Department Heads."

Her eyes scanned a piece of paper in front of her, and they lowered as my appointment was confirmed.

"I'll just need you to initial here," she said as she held out a clipboard which I signed with a shaking hand. "All right, now if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the Board."

She set off down a new corridor, and I trudged slowly behind her, as she was moving at a feeble trot. We reached the end of the hall where lay a closed door. She knocked twice, then let herself in and announced my arrival.

"Ms. Granger is her to see you."

"Excellent," said a deep male's voice.


	7. I Knew What I Wanted to Do

I can remember the day I thought up the idea for Granger's as clear as glass.

I was 21 years old, a few months out of muggle university. I had received an invitation to return to Hogwarts to take my NEWTs, as I was on the run from Voldemort during what should have been my seventh and final year of school. Most of the students my age that had been absent that year, like me, hadn't expressed any interest in finishing their schooling, but I had felt it necessary to do so in order to get a good job later on.

At first, however, I had had my doubts. Did I really want to return to the place where many a tragedy had occurred; where some of my most horrible memories had taken place? But it was also the setting for some of my _greatest_ memories. Hogwarts was, after all, where I made the best friends I've ever had, achieved perfect marks, and fell in love for the first time.

The pros far outweighed the cons, so I made an appointment with Minerva McGonagall, the new headmistress of Hogwarts, to take my NEWTs. I was nervous the day of my testing, even though I had reread every one of my old textbooks and memorized the preparation material that was sent to me.

The fog was still low as I Apparated to Hogsmeade, the small village near Hogwarts. I watched my breath float up with every few steps I took, shivering in the late October mid-morning chill. As I exited the town's limits and neared the Hogwarts gates, a wave of nostalgia rushed over me, but I had little time to reminisce, because in front of me was standing Professor McGonagall, punctual as always.

I had always looked up to the professor, and she was always my favorite teacher at Hogwarts. She had a certain air of respectability and authority about her that was to be admired.

We proceeded through the gates after a warm exchange between the two of us. I looked around at the castle I had lived in for the better portion of my teenage life, recognizing the familiar walls, and looking in awe at the renovations that had been made to all that had been damaged in the Battle of Hogwarts three years prior.

We clacked down the halls, and I peered through the windows of the classrooms at groups of students I no longer recognized. It was an odd feeling; it cemented just how much time had passed, how much mine and everyone else's lives had changed. The batch of new, young faces showed me that even though terrible things happen, life moves on.

We two walked on until we reached McGonagall's study—the room I had always known to be Dumbledore's office. She sat me down in a corner at a desk equipped with everything I would need for testing, and after brief instructions, I began. I was surprised at how easy it was, and in no time at all I was finished.

McGonagall looked up from her work in surprise.

"I must say, Ms. Granger, you've finished in record time. I anticipated you to take at least another hour! No matter. Your results will be sent to you in a week or two. You're free to go if you'd like, but you're welcome to stay for a tour, and perhaps visit some classes if you'd prefer to. Although," she quickly added, "I completely understand if you would rather no, given your past experiences," the professor finished sympathetically.

"I'd actually love to stay for awhile if you'll have me."

"Excellent…" she paused, "Hermione."

I was shocked. The professor made it a point to never call students by their first names.

Her eyes sparkled with a smile. "Technically you and I no longer have a professional relationship. I hope you don't mind my calling you by your first name." At that she smiled again.

I smiled back and said, "Not at all," then followed her out of her office.

We strolled through the hallways, with McGonagall pointing out renovations, describing new teachers, and making idle conversation about exam scores, the new tax on parchment, and the state of the ministry.

At the end of one corridor, we stopped at a classroom that was horribly familiar to me.

Professor Binns' History of Magic class was the only one of my classes I'd ever had at Hogwarts that I had actually hated. The professor was the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts, and his lectures were so mind-numbingly dull that even I couldn't bring myself to listen to them too intently.

Minerva and I entered the classroom, me wondering why she chose this particular class for us to step into to observe. I came to a sickening realization when my companion moved to the front of the room and whispered something to Professor Binns, then motioned for me to join the two of them.

The professor addressed his class of fifth-years in his monotonous, drawling voice as I shuffled my way up to front.

"Class," he began, "as you know, we have been studying the rise and fall of the Dark Lord Voldemort." _They study him in school now? _ "Here today we have a special guest, Ms. Hermione Granger." He turned to me. "Would you like to tell your involvement in this event?"

I looked up from the floor, and replied that I would. I summoned up my courage and told of how I knew Harry Potter, our hunt for the Horcruxes, and finally the Battle of Hogwarts, at which I began to tear up.

Whenever presenting in front of large crowds, I make it a point to ignore the people in the audience. This time was no exception, which was why I was staring at the back wall. As I finished, I lowered my eyes back to the students in front of me, and was shocked at what I saw.

The fifth-years, who I thought couldn't care less, were all looking up at me with awe and, what shocked me the most, respect.

My insides started to warm with happiness. I had never before been in a position where people had looked up to me; I had never really been listened to, even. It was at that moment that I realized what I wanted to do.

As McGonagall sauntered up to where I was, I could see the respect in the students' eyes go from me to her. I knew that I liked the attention from them, and how they might even see me as a sort of role model. I wanted to keep being an inspiration to the younger generations. I wanted to be a headmistress, to have the same effect on people the way I had just had, the way McGonagall had my entire time at Hogwarts. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I knew I wouldn't rest until I did.

/

After that day I had found a friend in Minerva, and was regularly invited to tea with her on her quieter days. Before long I had confided in her of my hopes to become the headmistress of a school some day.

"What type of school would you like to teach at?" she asked.

I thought for a moment, and then replied, "I don't have a preference, but perhaps teaching younger kids would be fun." Suddenly, a question arose; it was something I had always wondered, being a muggle-born. "Is there a sort of grade-school that young wizards attend to learn about muggles? I mean, we muggle-borns get the best of both worlds. We get to learn the basics of mathematics, spelling and grammar, and the sciences along with going to Hogwarts to learn wizardry. How do children raised by wizards and witches learn all of that?"

"It is traditionally the job of the parents to teach their children. So to answer your question, no, there are no primary schools."

"They should change that. Just like in the muggle world, both parents might not be able to do that. It'd just be so much more convenient for there to be a school, don't you think?"

Minerva looked at me for a moment, then with a small smile said, "I do."

At first I was confused as to why she seemed so smug, but then it came to me.

"You don't mean to say… You really think _I_ could do that? Have a school, I mean?"

She nodded with another smile.

"But I couldn't!"

"And why not?"  
"Well- I- I don't know."

She patted my knee. "Just think about it for me."

/

And I did. Approaching the Ministry was easier than I had anticipated, and Minerva, Ron, Harry and Ginny were all very supportive of the whole idea.

The very notion of my having my own school brought on a new register of emotions for me.

There was the expected fear and anxiety, but on top of them, pride conquered all. I was just so elated that the project could really turn into something, and I was proud that I had found something to do. I had finally figured out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.


	8. Welcome, Ms Granger

"Welcome, Ms. Granger. Please, take a seat," said the man sitting at the head. He gestured towards a lone chair on one side of the table which was facing the man and his three associates.

The group of four wasn't particularly intimidating; on the contrary, they seemed to be very warm and friendly people. Nevertheless, I was shaking as I took my seat in front of them.

"Let us start off by stating for the record why we are gathered here on this day. The safety of the vehicle, hereafter referred to as "The Knight Bus", used for public wizarding transportation has been brought to question after a sudden incoming of complaints. Did you get all that?" said the man, glancing to his left.

It was then that I noticed a quill and piece of parchment hovering in midair. The man then continued, but in a less official tone of voice this time.

"My name is Samuel Wright, and I'm the head of the Magical Department of Transportation. These are my associates, Timothy Kelly," he gestured to a tall yet stout wizard in tweed, "Carol Houser," this time, a pretty middle-aged witch, "and Benjamin Zupke," he finished, nodding toward a handsome, smart-looking man.

"It has come to our attention, Ms. Granger, that students attending your school have been riding The Knight Bus, and their parents have been less than thrilled about it," said Carol. "There have been many parent concerns for their children's safety."

"The driver of the bus has never once received a complaint regarding safety in his seventy-five years on the job. Also, it must be taken into consideration that it is not customary for small children to ride The Knight Bus," said Timothy.

"Not without parental supervision, that is," Benjamin piped in.

"This is all true," said Samuel. "Now, have any of you any idea how to fix these problems?"

"Perhaps a new driver should be employed," said Timothy.

At this, I began to panic, and Benjamin, as though reading my mind said, "Now Tim, let's be rational here. Given his perfect record, the current driver should not be removed from his post."

"I agree," said Carol. "Supposing that there are safety concerns only among the younger passengers, perhaps we should implement an age limit of, say, eleven years old, and all children younger than that must be accompanied by someone above said limit."

"Now that is a good idea," Samuel said. "Are there any more ideas to be taken into consideration?" A moment's pause. "No? Well then, all those in favour of enacting an age limit on The Knight Bus, say 'aye'."

All four of them voiced their ayes and Samuel banged a gavel on the desk.

"It is decided. Ms. Granger, may I ask that you send word to the parents of your students of the new policy, to be effective immediately?"

I nodded vigourously. "Yes, sir. Thank you very much!"

I was so relieved to know that I wouldn't be the one to put Ernie out of a job.

"You're very welcome. Thank you for your time Ms. Granger, you may go. It was a real pleasure meeting you."

At that, I rose from the table, nodded to each of the officers and left the room feeling as though I were floating.

**AN: This marks the end of the chapters I wrote in 2011. Expect a longer wait for the next few and also for the quality of writing to improve. My revising skills are weak, so I didn't do a whole lot of tweaking to the previous chapters, but now that the writing will be from scratch, it'll be more of my current writing style as opposed that of my fourteen year-old self. I really hope you're enjoying where the story is going; I'm aiming for five or six more chapters, maybe more. Let me know your thoughts!**


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